This Feature Article is presented to us by Society member Madison Donnelly. Madison works tirelessly to bring the RFL events to Second Life by volunteering her time to organize and administer the incredible network of resources which are needed to accomplish this event each year. What follows is helpful information that can assist in answering your questions on what RFL in Second Life is, and what motivates a person to work so hard to bring an event of this magnitude to fruition. In so reading, you too may wish to contribute in this monumental effort and help in some way in which we encourage you to contact Madison here at Society or contact the resources she has mentioned below. Remember, your efforts do count. RFL in Second Life raises real world dollars that go towards research and the fight against cancer, an effort anyone can be proud of being involved in.
Why I Celebrate, Remember, and Fight Back!
by Madison Donnelly
Many of you have heard of the American Cancer Society Relay For Life event in Second Life, a team event adopted by communities around the world to fight back against cancer. The Relay in Second Life is the largest virtual event of its kind. Ever. Do you ever wonder, what’s all the fuss about?
Think of your two favorite people in the world. The list might include your partner, your best friend, or your child. Until we find a cure, in your lifetime one of the three of you will hear the words “you have cancer.” It’s already happened to me, with my father losing his fight at age 49 (I was 19), his father lost to Leukemia the next year, and my mother being diagnosed with breast cancer just 25 months after my father’s death.
This is why I Relay.
When I think back to the hardest things I’ve endured in my life, and I remember sitting with my father, at home on hospice because he’d run out of options. I was in college at the time, and would sit in the room with him for hours, quietly doing my homework and just being there. I think he liked that because I did not spend my time hovering over him or crying all the time. When he asked, I’d brush his hair or wash his face, often times having him ask again just 10 minutes later, confused by the large amounts of morphine coursing through his body.
The day before my father passed, my little brother came in and asked why dad’s fingernails were blue. He had developed severe congestion in his lungs and was oxygen deprived, even with an oxygen mask. Then my 8 year old brother, who’d been living day in, day out with my father during his fight looked up at me and asked “Is he going to die?” At 8 years old, that child should not have to deal with that revelation, and at 19, I should never have had to answer that. I told him “yes” and my baby brother ran off to get a book from his room so he could “study” too, bravely crawled up next to me on the bed and together we spend our last afternoon with our father. Dad lost his battle the next morning.
While my story is definitely one of remembrance, it is also one of hope. My mom has the American Cancer Society to thank for saving her life. It was ACS-funded research that developed the guidelines for mammography screening, and it was a mammogram that detected her cancer at a very early stage, while it was treatable. It was ACS that provided support services for my family when things were falling apart so soon on the heels of the death of my father. And, it is through Relay For Life that my mother and I both fight back against cancer. She’s relayed in RL for several years and has even served as chair of her local event.
That’s right; Relay is real life, too! With over 5,000 events in the US and 600 events world-wide spanning 19 countries! In the US, RFL raises over $400 million dollars a year - that's over a billion dollars every 2 and 1/2 years.
I’m here to tell you, the tide is turning. Exciting things are happening in the fight and we are making progress. For the first time in 6 years, thanks in part to lobbying efforts of ACS Cancer Action Network volunteers, the US federal government is increasing funds earmarked for cancer research. Cancer deaths are on the decline. While incidence is up, it is believed to be a result of increased awareness and more getting screened. What this means is more people are going to the doctor early enough, finding out they have cancer while it is easily treatable.
There has been a shift in the war that rages against cancer and we still have more to do. Including skin cancers, 2.4 million new incidences will be diagnosed this year in the US alone, and 565,000 Americans will lose their battle. Based on scientific evidence, 2/3 - let me say that again - 2/3 of all cancer deaths could be prevented. We must continue to raise awareness about tobacco use, healthy nutrition choices, and physical activity.
I relay because I want everyone to benefit from ACS as my mother did. I relay because I wish there had been something ACS could have done to help my father. And I relay because I don’t want another person to suffer the way my family did during our battles. Won't you join me?
Getting involved in Second Life could not be easier. Donate to Relay For Life (RFL) kiosks and vendors scattered through out the grid or search for events that benefit RFL, or host your own party to benefit the cause. Most importantly, support our teams! For a complete list of teams and upcoming fundraising events, visit our event web site at http://slrfl.org.
For more information on the American Cancer Society, its international life-saving mission, and Relay For Life, visit www.cancer.org or visit the self-titled American Cancer Society sim. Watch my profile for more information on how you too can get involved!
Important Note
Madison also adds: “The actual RFL event opens July 19-20th with 35 sims hosting several live music stages, 84 team campsites, a survivor’s celebration area and a memory wall.
Exact location of the sims will not be known until we get closer to the event, but historically are named Relay For Life #1, etc so they will be easy to map.
The best way to get information in the mean time is visit http://slrfl.org There is a calendar of team fundraising events that happen almost daily – all of these events go to support Relay, all culminating with the Relay itself in July.
The ACS sim is titled just that “American Cancer Society.” There is an office there for the RFL of SL volunteers and many other gathering spots, available to anyone to come and sit, reflect or share their cancer experience.”
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